This invention relates to devices for filling electric storage battery cells with either water or other fluid appropriate to make the cell operative and to bring the water level in the cell to a proper height covering the plates. The term "water" as used herein includes all such liquids.
In the gasoline filling stations common throughout the United States, there have been provided a pitcher-like closed container having a valved fill spout thereon which may be inserted individually into each open cell nozzle to dispense liquid into the cell of the battery. The construction of the fill spout is such that the valve therein may be opened by manually moving the container toward the battery with the fill spout in the cell nozzle. Water will flow from the container cell until the water in the cell rises to close off the end of the spout, thus giving an automatic level proper for the particular cell being filled, and when the spout is thus covered, flow will stop. It is believed that the container from which the water is dispensed is a closed circuit with the cell in such a fashion that once the water rises to close the end of the spout a slight vacuum may occur above the water in the container, thus stopping the flow. Retraction of the container from the battery closes the valve in the spout, thus preventing spilling of any quantity of water except into the cell of the battery.
A greater number of batteries used in the United States are of the 6 volt variety containing three cells, each with is own fill nozzle. Other batteries of other voltages are common in automobiles, such as the 12 volt battery which has six cells, each with its own fill nozzle. Throughout industry, many of the 6 volt batteries are still in widespread use, such as industrial trucks, golf carts and the like. Battery life can be extended appreciably if proper water levels in each of the cells of the battery is maintained. Industry and users of the batteries, therefore, have a problem of maintaining the batteries in the proper operating condition, particularly with respect to maintaining the water level in the cells The individual placement of water into each cell is a time-consuming operation. It was, therefore, thought that time of maintenance could be reduced if all three cells of an individual battery could be filled simultaneously. The utilization of known assembly spout battery filling devices, however, does not permit the filling of all three cells from a common source without the present invention.
The use of three conventional fill spout structures, each with its spout on a common container will not stop the flow of water into the cells until the last to be filled of the cells has reached the proper level. The cell which does not need water will overflow while the other cells of the battery are receiving water from the common container, so that the use of conventional fill spout structures does not satisfy the need to stop the flow into each cell when the water level in that cell reaches proper height.